Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-26
A KNOTTY QUESTION
Up FOR DISCUSSION AT THB CITY HALL,
LAST EVENING.
The Joint Committee Of Members Of Council and Inc
Chamber Of Commerce Talk Over the
Exemptions for Manufacturers.

About a month ago, in the First Branch
of Council, Mr.. McGregor offered a reso-
luton asking that a special joint commit
tee of three members from each Branch be
Amounted to consider and report as to the
ACCESSIBILITY of releasing any new indus
trial establishments which might hereafter
be located within the city limits from tax
alton and water rent for a term OF years
The committee appointed under this res
olution held a preliminary meeting, and
adopted a resolution requesting the Cham
Der OF Commerce to appoint a committee
to act in conjunction with the Councilmen
The President of the chamber accordingly
appointed Messrs. John Mcclure, c. b
Hart, Col. Thomas O'Brien, A. J.Sweeney
and ]. B. fancy, a committee to con
fer with the Councllmen, and last evening
the two committees met at the City Hall
An organization was effected by electlnt
Mr.. Frank Cruise chairman, and alter 6
short informal discussion, a resolution wa:
drawn up by the clerk, as follows:
s.Resoired, That all new manufacturing
establishments employing not less thai
fifty men, and located within the city
limits, be exempted from city taxation
and water rents for a term Of ten wears.
With this as O basis, the entire subject
of the tardy growth of the city and the
lack of a disposition on the part OF the PEG
ple to- embark in new enterprises was
taken up and discussed. After n full ant
free interchange of views, the gentlemen
came to the conclusion that it did not Ii,
within the power of the city to exempt
~property from taxation, however desirable
such q course might be, for the reason thai
the constitutional provision that taxa
ton shall be equal and uniform" and Sec
26 of the Act of March "a, 1875, "a part o
the Act of Incorporation, which provides
that The Council of the City of Wheeling
shall have authority to levy an annual tax
on all real estate and tithables within the
limits of said city, trithoHt exception, y stood
very much in the way.
The pending resolution was then amend
ed ny striking out the taxation exemption
This left exemption from water tax rs Tho
only remaining induccment TO new invest
ments. 1t was agreed, after u general re
view of the whole matter, that an eXemp
ton from water rent would not amount t.
much rs an inducement, and the resolu
ton was further amended by inserting
necessary gas for illuminating purposes
as an additional exemption.
The point was then raised that while
the exemptions would be q good thing fol
a new enterprise, such rs a foundry, fol
instance, it would be bad for the proprie'
tors of existing foundries, inasmuch a:
the new enterprise would he able to make
closer figures on orders than the old firms
with water and gas bills to pay, and
would therefore get the cream of the bust
ness. This struck the committee rs q
forcible objection, and after cogitating the
matter for Il time, it was suggested that a
schedule of some sort might
be made whereby, when, say two
or more enterprises of one kind should
be established, they, together with all old
establishments in the same class, should
be exempt. Thus, we have now one pot
terry. Whenever two additional potteries
shall be established. they, together with
the existing pottery, would all be exempt
This would prevent the discrimination in
seperable from the plan at first proposed
A long talk over this ensued, innumer
able difficulties suggesting themselves us
the gentlemen glanced over the field.
The debate took q very wide range, and
several variations on the proposition were
submitted, but none We're deemed salts
factory. Finally, at 10 o'clock, the whole
matter was referred TO a subcommittee
consisting of Messrs. Mcclure, Hart, Faris
and Cruise, they to report to the full com
mittee, which is to meet at the call of the
Chair.